Chapter 4 of A Son of Courage is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A Son of Courage is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?" Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly: "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice. Don't you go near him." "No ma'am, I won't.
Chapter 4 of A Son of Courage is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing
From this reading “Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:”
plural of “cooky” — the cook on a ranch or at a camp
From this reading “Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:”
the lean flesh of a saltwater fish caught along Atlantic coast of southern U.S.
From this reading “THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"”
a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
From this reading “Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:”
the act of removing the contents of something
From this reading “Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:”
a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
From this reading “"He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.”
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading “THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"”
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading “THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:”
In this reading “Don't you go near him."”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
replying
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
plural of “cooky” — the cook on a ranch or at a camp
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
the lean flesh of a saltwater fish caught along Atlantic coast of southern U.S.
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't you go near him."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
the act of removing the contents of something
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Don't you go near him."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Don't you go near him."
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No ma'am, I won't.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
a woman of refinement
From this reading "No ma'am, I won't.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Don't you go near him."
not any; not one
From this reading "No ma'am, I won't.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
make a sweeping movement
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
with sternness; in a severe manner
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's down to the far medder, watchin' the gap, Maurice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading THE MESSAGE CROAKER BROUGHT "Missus Wilson, where's Billy?"
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading Mrs. Wilson turned to the door, wiped her red face on her apron, and finished emptying a pan of hot cookies into the stone crock, before answering, sternly:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No ma'am, I won't.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Don't you go near him."
Chapter 4 of A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 4 holds 194 sentences of A Son of Courage, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Son of Courage by Archie P. McKishnie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5793 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62278 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62278, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 482 minutes of reading across 1159 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Son of Courage section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of A Son of Courage to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Son of Courage, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
